Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
I’ve evaluated a few of Shawn Mendes’ songs—"Stiches" and "Treat You Better" and "There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back"—in prior posts. I’m not a big fan of those three songs because the lyrics are, well, somewhat questionable. But I don’t hate all of Shawn’s songs. In fact, we’re going to evaluate one today that has a great message.
Unfortunately, lies about friendship are sometimes believed by God’s people. I know this is true because I’ve fallen for them and allowed them to affect my life. Believing these lies certainly hurts our relationships with our friends, but it also hurts our relationships with God. I wrote this post to evaluate two specific lies about friendship so that we can realign our beliefs with the truth and understand how to approach friendship biblically.
I’ve never consumed alcohol—not even a beer at a party or a glass of wine at a restaurant or a sip of champagne at a wedding. There’s a specific reason I’ve avoided alcohol. It’s required intentionality. And while you may not agree with my reason, I promise it’s simple.
White Bird: A Wonder Story is a movie I probably won’t see again, and there are a couple reasons for that. First, it felt super disconnected from Wonder—the movie it’s supposedly a sequel to. Plus, Wonder came out seven years ago and didn’t really need a sequel. But the second reason—the main reason—I didn’t like White Bird was its misleading message.
I was 13 years old when my friend Alexis* moved away. Losing her was really hard because I’d grown up with her. We’d attended the same church and the same homeschool groups, and we’d even played soccer on the same team. But Alexis isn’t the only friend I’ve lost in my life. Many of my friends have been “friends for a season.” Even though it’s not fun when a friendship ends, it’s not unusual.
I recently shared a post with three ways you can pray for the single girls in your life, but as you pray for them, you may wonder how to show them kindness in everyday life. Maybe you’ve been married for decades and have several kids, so singleness isn’t something you think about often. Or maybe you recently got married and want your single friends to know you haven’t forgotten about them. No matter what season of life you’re in, these ideas for loving single girls are applicable.
Unfortunately, this behavior (i.e., phone fixation in social situations) is common for people of all ages. It’s not just a teen girl issue. Even more unfortunately, this behavior is what’s holding us back from making real connections with each other.
Before I dive into this post about modesty, I want to say I understand how difficult it is to be modest in the summer—and in every season. I promise I’m not going to tell you how long your shorts should be or what type of swimsuit you should buy. Rather, I’m going to encourage you to consider your relationship with Jesus as you select your summer wardrobe.
My friend Emma* serves in several different ways at my church. She helps in the youth group, she sings during worship services, and she’s on a planning committee—among many other things! When she talks about her involvement in various ministries, I sometimes wonder: Should I serve more at church?
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 